Method of shoe lasting

ABSTRACT

In the lasting of a fore part of a shoe, an upper is loosely disposed about a last, and the upper is clamped against the periphery of the sole part of the last. The upper is then subjected to mechanical stresses in order to bring it into its required shape, and following the shaping of the upper, the lasting margin is turned over and secured to the insole.

States ate 1191 1111 3,31,215

[ Aug. 27, 11974 METHOD OF SHOE LASTHNG [56] References 1311112111 [75]Inventor: Frank Gordon Bailey, Kettering, NITED STATES PATENTS England3,168,752 2/1965 Quarmby 12/10.1 [73] Assignee: CLC. Ralphs LtdL, Bath,Somerset, England [22] Filed: Aug. 30, 1972 Primary Examiner-Patrick D.Lawson 21 A 1. No.: 284,970 1 pp 57 In the lasting of a fore part of ashoe, an upper is [30] Emma Apphcamll Prwmy Dam loosely disposed about alast, and the upper is Sept. 21, 1972 Great Bmam 41100/72 clampedagainst the periphery of the sole part f the last. The upper is thensubjected to mechanical [52] 1.1.5. (:1. 12/145, 12/ 10.1 Stresses inOrder to bring i into its required Shape and [51] 11111. Cll A4311 29/00following the shaping of the upper the lasting margin [58] Field ofSearch 12/145, 10.1, 8.2, 10, is turned Over and Secured to the insole 51 16 Drawing Figures PAIENIEB ausz 7:914

SHEET 07 0F 13 AIENTEB AUG 2 71974 saw us or 13 PATENTED AUBZ 71974SHEET 10 0F 13 PATEN m; we 7 1974 SHEET 11 0F 13 THOI) or short LAS'IINGThis invention relates to an improved method and apparatus for use inshoe lasting and optionally sole attaching.

The word shoe is used herein in a broad sense wherever the context sopermits to include all forms of outer footwear. The word lasting is usedherein in a broad sense to refer to the procedure of adhesively securinga shoe upper to an insole by means of a turned over margin of the upperwhich is stuck to the insole, for example by the use of a heatactivatable adhesive.

In U.S. Pat. No. 3,594,839 we have described a method of lasting thefore part of a shoe in which, when an upper and insole have beenpresented to a last or form, a machine on which the last or form ismounted operates to hold the upper against the periphery of the last orform and then, while the upper is so held, to turn a margin of the upperover and adhesively secure it to the insole while the upper is not fullyshaped, the upper being subsequently given a mechanical stressing tobring it to the required shape.

We have now found that improved results may be obtained in certain casesby the use of amethod of lasting which comprises the steps of arrangingan upper loosely disposed about a last with a lasting margin projectingtherefrom, clamping the upper against the periphery of the sole part ofthe last, subjecting the upper to a mechanical stressing to bring it tothe required shape, and then while the upper is still clamped turningover the lasting margin and securing it to an insole.

In another aspect the invention comprises a method of lasting the forepart of a shoe with the aid of a last comprising sole and back parts anda fore part filler portion which is movable forwardly and rearwardly inrelation to the said parts, in which, while the fore part filler portionis in a rearward position, a machine on which the last is mountedoperates to hold an upper loosely about the last with a lasting marginprojecting beyond the sole part of the last and then to clamp the upperagainst the periphery of the sole part, the machine then operating tomove the fore part fillerportion forwardly to shape the fore part of theupper to the shape of the last, and while still holding the upperclamped to turn over the lasting margin and secure it to an insole.

The improved method of the invention may be carried out on apparatus inwhich a last is mounted sole uppermost in fixed position with thevarious assemblies for use in performing the lasting operation movabletowards and away from the last.

In a further aspect the invention comprises apparatus for lasting thefore part of a shoe including a last comprising sole and back parts anda fore part filler portion movable forwardly and rearwardly relative tothe sole and back parts, means for mounting the last sole uppermost, apincer assembly pivotally mounted on a horizontal axis for movementbetween an inoperative position and an operative position and includingone or more pincers positioned in the operative position of the assemblyto engage a marginal portion of the upper and to support the upper witha predetermined lasting margin extending above the sole part of thelast, a clamping band assembly which is movable from an inoperativeposition upwards and then forwards towards the last, the assemblyincluding a resilient clamping band movable to engage and clamp theupper against the periphery of the sole part of the last, means formoving the fore part filler portion of the last forwardly of the soleand back parts whereby to shape the upper to the last, and a wiper headassembly for turning over the lasting margin of the upper onto aninsole, the wiper head assembly being movable towards and away from thelast and when in operative position downwards relative to the last sothat wiper plates extended across the last can apply pressure thereto.

The method and apparatus of this invention is particularly suitable foruse in the lasting of shoes having ups pers made of plastics materialsuch as P.V.C. which has to be stressed to its required shape while hotsince the stressing operation can be performed within a much shorterinterval of time following the removal of an upper from a heating oventhan is possible when the method described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,594,839 isused.

Using such material the upper is cooled as quickly as possible after ithas attained the required shape. The improved method of the invention ishowever also suitable for use in lasting shoes having uppers made ofleather.

In order that the invention may be clearly understood one embodiment ofthe improved. apparatus will now be described with reference to theaccompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view showing the essentialcomponents;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation partly in section;

FIG. 3 is a sectional plan view taken on the line III- III in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a sectional end view taken on the line IV-IV in FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is an exploded fragmentary perspective view showing the componentparts of a last and its supporting means;

FIG. 6 is a vertical section of the last of FIG. 5;

FIGS. 7 and 8 are plan views partly in section of a wiper head assemblyshowing wiper plates in operative and inoperative positionsrespectively;

FIG. 9 is a section on the line IX-IX in FIG. 7;

FIG. 10 is a plan view of a clamping band assembly;

FIG. II is a plan view of part of the assembly of FIG. 10;

FIG. 12 is a vertical section taken through the last and showing apincer engaging the toe end of the lasting margin of an upper on thelast;

FIGS. 13 and 14 are fragmentary perspective views of the pincer assemblyshowing the side pincers in their inoperative and operative positionsrespectively;

FIG. 15 is a frangrnentary side elevation of part of a side pincer; and

FIG. 16 illustrates the toe end of an upper.

Referring firstly to FIG. I, the machine has a framework defining a baseand two spaced parallel side walls It) and I2 rising therefrom. Risingfrom the base is a last supporting means 14 which essentially is fixed,it being a feature of the machine of this invention that the last withan upper thereon does not move whereas the various assemblies whichperform the lasting operations and a sole applying operation movetowards and away from the last. However, as will appear a portion of thelast is moved during the lasting operation.

A wiper head assembly 16 is supported for movement towards and away fromthe last on carriages 18 (FIG.

3) running on guide rails 20 which are mounted on the facing sides ofthe walls It) and 12. This assembly is also movable in a verticaldirection as will be described hereafter.

A pincer assembly 22 is carried on a base plate 24 which is pivotallymounted on the wall 12, the assembly being movable between operative andinoperative positions by a pneumatic actuator 26. Also pivotally mountedon the wall 12 is a pad box assembly 28 and an insole clamp assembly 30.As shown the machine includes a control panel 32, which may includecontrols for initiating and adjusting the timing of the sequence ofoperations, and an oven 34 for heating uppers before they are placed onthe last.

The arrangement of the last supporting means and of the last mountedthereon can best be seen in FIGS. 2, 4, 5, 6 and W. The last itself,which essentially is the same as the last described in US. Pat. No.3,490,086, comprises a sole part 36, a waist part 38 and a heel part 40which in operation form one unit, and a fore part filler portion 42which is movable forwardly and rearwardly relative to the unitconsisting of the three parts 36, 38 and 40. The waist and heel partscould be made integral but it facilitates applying an upper to andremoving it from the last if the heel part is detachable and can beassembled inside the upper 44 before this upper is applied to the last.As shown in FIGS. and 6 the upper 44 has already been seat lasted on aninsole 46.

The parts 36, 38 and 40 of the last are mounted on the upper end of aplate member 48 which is secured to a fixed post 50. The portion 42 ofthe last is likewise mounted on the upper end of a plate member 52 whichis secured to a post 54. However the ,post 54 instead of being fixed iscarried on a shaft 56 which is mounted in a bearing frame 58 and isslidable therein by a pneumatic actuator 60 (see FIGS. 2 and 4). Theplate members 48 and 52 are each formed with an upwardly and forwardlyextending web 62 and 64 respectively and the underside of the web isprovided with a rib 66 which, in the normal position of the platemembers when they abut edge to edge (FIG. 6), is received in a groove 68in the web 64.

The web 62 supports the sole part 36 and the waist part 38 of the last,the two parts being attached thereto by screws as shown, while the heelpart 46 is removably located on the upper rear end of the plate member48 as by means of a dovetail joint. In a similar manner the web 64supports the fore part filler portion of the last.

The wiper head assembly 16 comprises a horse-shoe shaped box 70 which issupported on columns 72. These columns are slidable in vertical boresformed in the respective end members '74 of the carriages l8 and arejoined at their lower ends by a cross member 76 (FIG. 4). Fixed to theend members 74 are columns 78 whose axes lie in the same vertical planeas the axes of the columns 72. The lower ends of the columns 78 arejoined by a cross member 80 which is bored at appropriate points to passthe columns 72. A pneumatic actuator 82 is connected between the crossmembers 76 and 80 and acts to control the height of the wiper headassembly. The assembly is moved towards and away from the last by meansof a pneumatic actuator 84 (FIG. 3) which causes the carriages 18 toslide on their rails 20. When the assembly is in its operative position(shown in dot dash line in FIG. 2), the forward movement has brought oneend of a bell crank lever 86 into engagement with a recess 88 in thecross member 76. The other end of this lever is connected with apneumatic actuator 90.

The box of the wiper assembly houses two pairs of wiper plates 92, 94.The plates 92 are hinged together at 96 and are guided by pins 98engaging in slots MM) in the plates and by engagement of their peripherywith fixed parts of the box so that when the plates 92 are moved to theright in FIG. 8 by the actuator I02 and links I04, the plates move abouttheir hinge 96 so that the right hand ends move inwards to the positionshown in FIG. 7 in order to effect a wiping operation. The other pair ofwiper plates 94 are moved transversely by individual actuators W6.

'A clamping band assembly seen in plan in FIG. 10, is mounted on a head188 supported in a vertical direction under the control of an actuatorM2. The assembly is movable towards and away from the last by anactuator I114 which moves a shaft I16 longitudinally in the head 108.The assembly includes a clamping band 118. This is connected by a pinwith the forward end of the shaft 116 and by bars 122 which arepivotally mounted on the rods I24 carried on the ends of cranked leversI26. These levers are pivoted together at 128 on the head 108 and aremoved by actuators 130. The arrangement is such that the band may betightly clamped against the periphery of the sole part 36 of the lastand provides that the band may be simply replaced by another ofdifferent shape when sole parts of different contour are used.

The pincer head assembly 22 includes a toe pincer I31 operable by anactuator to grip the margin of the fore part of an upper. An actuator isprovided for moving this pincer heightwise in relation to the last. Theas sembly also includes side pincers 132 which are shown in theirinoperative position in FIG. 13 and can be swung from this position toan operative position, shown in FIG. 14, in which they lie adjacent thelast in a position determined by the engagement of an adjustable springloaded stop ll33 with the side of the toe pincer structure. Each sidepincer includes an appropriate actuator I34 and is provided withadjustable stops 135 which determine the width of the lasting margin ofthe upper that can be engaged by the jaws of the pincer.

To ensure that the upper is correctly positioned in the pincer assemblythe toe end of the upper 44 is formed with notches I36 (FIG. 16) whichare positioned to ensure that the front edge 137 of the upper can beaccurately located in the toe pincer 131.

The pad box assembly 28 comprises a pad box 138 pivotally mounted at oneend of an arm 140 which is movable by an actuator 142 about a pivot I44arranged intermediate the ends of the arm and mounted on the wall 12 ofthe frame of the machine. As the arm 140 is moved the pad box 138 isturned about its pivot by the linkage 146. That part of the arm 140which extends between the pivot I44 and the end remote from the pad box138 is formed of three spaced parallel portions I48. Between them extendthe two parts of a lever one end of which is mounted on the pivot 144and the other end of which is connected to a pneumatic actuator 152. Thelever 150 also carries a stop 154 which is movable to the position shownin dotted lines (FIG. 4) by an actuator 156.

The pad box 138 may be provided with means such as a sole edge locator157 for locating a sole or sole unit accurately thereon and the sole orsole unit may be retained in position by vacuum means. In order toactivate adhesive on the sole or sole unit prior to pressing it on thelasted upper a heater 158 is provided. This heater is hung on the end ofan arm 160, the other end of which is pivoted on the frame of themachine, and an actuator 162 is provided for moving the heater betweenthe position shown and a position where it is ad jacent the pad box 138,when the latter is in its inoperative position.

The machine also includes an insole clamp assembly 30 which is pivotallymounted on a bracket 164 and is movable between an operative position,shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, and an inoperative position shown in FIG. 1 byan actuator 166. The assembly comprises an arm 168 carrying a pressurepad 17@ adjustable to en gage the centre of the sole part of the lastand an adjustable stop 172 to engage the heel part of the last. The arm168 is movable into and out of a clamping position by an actuator 174.

In use the machine is operated in the following manner:

An upper, preferably already seat lasted on an insole is heated in theoven 34 for a predetermined time. It is then removed, the heel part 40is inserted therein and is then assembled on the member 48 to completethe last while the upper is draped round the fore part filler portion 42which at this time is in its retracted position. The insole clampassembly 30 is now brought into its operative position shown in FIGS. 2and 3 so that the pressure pad 170 seats on the insole 46 to hold itdown on the sole part 36 of the last and the stop 172 engages the insoleover the heel part 40 of the last and holds the insole and heel part inposition. The pincer assembly 22 is now lowered from its inoperativeposition shown in FIG. 1.

The front end 137 of the upper is then fed by hand into the open toepincer 131 which is then closed to grip the upper. The toe pincer isthen moved upwardly to position the upper on the last. The side pincers132 then swing inwardly towards the last and engage and grip a part ofthe lasting margin as determined by the position of the stops 135. Theclamping band assembly now moves upwards and then forwards towards thelast and the clamping band is then operated to clamp the upper tightlyagainst the periphery of the sole part 36 of the last.

During its upwards movement the clamping band assembly engages the sidepincers 132 and lifts them by a predetermined amount. This movement ofthe side pincers together with the previous upwards movement of the toepincer 131 ensures that a lasting margin of predetermined width extendsabove the sole part of the last. The three pincers open after the upperhas been clamped against the periphery of the sole part 36, the sidepincers swing back to their original position and the whole pincerassembly is then moved back to its inoperative position. At the sametime the fore part filler portion 42 of the last is moved forwards toexpand the last and bring the upper to its desired shape. If the upperbeing lasted is made of P.V.C. the abovedescribed sequence of operationswill be carried out as quickly as possible so that the upper is stillhot as the last is expanded. As soon as the expansion is completed theupper is cooled as quickly as possible for example by means of jets ofcold air from the nozzles 180 (FIG. 1). The wiper head assembly 16 isnow moved forwards towards the last and lowered and the wiper plates 92,94 move inwards to wipe the lasting margin of the upper over on to theinsole. A bedding pressure is then applied by the wiper plates to thelasting margin and insole to ensure as flat as possible surface on theinsole. This pressure is applied by actuator operating through bellcrank lever 86 on cross member 76 to pull down the whole wiper headassembly. The clamping band assembly now releases the upper and movesback and down to its initial position. At the same time the wiperassembly moves up, the wiper blades retract and the assembly moves backto its initial position. Finally the insole clamp assembly 30 moves backto its inoperative position shown in FIG. 1.

The lasted upper is now ready for the attachment of a sole or sole unit.During the preceding operations a sole or sole unit has been positionedin the pad box 138 and the heater 158 has been lowered to the positionshown in dotted lines in FlG. 4 in order to activate the adhesive on thesole or sole unit.

To attach the sole or sole unit the heater 158 is first raised and thepad box 138 is moved downwards by actuator 142 until the sole or soleunit is pressed against the lasted upper and heavy pressure is thenapplied by actuator 152 for a predetermined period of time. At the endof this period the pad box is moved back into its initial position.During this last step cooling air is directed on to the shoe so as tocool it to the point where it can be safely taken off the last.

I claim:

1. A method of lasting the fore part of a shoe with the aid of a lastcomprising sole and back parts and a fore part filler portion which ismovable forwardly and rearwardly in relation to the said parts, inwhich, while the fore part filler portion is in a rearward position, amachine on which the last is mounted operates to hold an upper looselyabout the last with a lasting margin projecting beyond the sole part ofthe last, and then to clamp the upper against the periphery of the solepart, the machine then operating to move the fore part filler portionforwardly to shape the fore part of the upper to the shape of the last,and while still holding the upper clamped to turn over the lastingmargin and secure it to an insole.

2. A method of lasting the forepart of a shoe which comprises in thefollowing order the steps of arranging an upper loosely disposed about alast with a lasting margin projecting therefrom, clamping the upperagainst the periphery of the sole part of the last, expanding the lastto subject said upper to mechanical stresses to form the upper into adesired shape, and then while the upper is still clamped turning overthe lasting margin and securing it to an insole.

3. A method as claimed in claim 2, in which the rear part of the upperhas previously been seat moulded.

4. A method as claimed in claim 2 in which as a preliminary step theupper is heated prior to positioning it on the last.

5. The method claimed in claim 4 in which after the fore part of theupper has been shaped the upper is cooled by the application of coldair.

1 l= =1 l l= UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTIONPatent No. 3,831,215 Dated August 27, 1974 Inventofla) Frank GordonBailey It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patentand that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

The priority date should read -September 2, l971-- Great Britain41100/71.

Signed and sealed this 7th day of January 1975.

(SEAL) Attest: I HcCOY M. GIBSON JR. c. MARSHALL DANN Attesting OfficerI Commissioner of Patents v U-Wp-697

1. A method of lasting the fore part of a shoe with the aid of a lastcomprising sole and back parts and a fore part filler portion which ismovable forwardly and rearwardly in relation to the said parts, inwhich, while the fore part filler portion is in a rearward position, amachine on which the last is mounted operates to hold an upper looselyabout the last with a lasting margin projecting beyond the sole part ofthe last, and then to clamp the upper against the periphery of the solepart, the machine then operating to move the fore part filler portionforwardly to shape the fore part of the upper to the shape of the last,and while still holding the upper clamped to turn over the lastingmargin and secure it to an insole.
 2. A method of lasting the forepartof a shoe which comprises in the following order the steps of arrangingan upper loosely disposed about a last with a lasting margin projectingtherefrom, clamping the upper against the periphery of the sole part ofthe last, expanding the last to subject said upper to mechanicalstresses to form the upper into a desired shape, and then while theupper is still clamped turning over the lasting margin and securing itto an insole.
 3. A method as claimed in claim 2, in which the rear partof the upper has previously been seat moulded.
 4. A method as claimed inclaim 2 in which as a preliminary step the upper is heated prior topositioning it on the last.
 5. The method claimed in claim 4 in whichafter the fore part of the upper has been shaped the upper is cooled bythe application of cold air.